


reset

by Yasuo_Karada



Category: DRAMAtical Murder (Visual Novel), DRAMAtical Murder - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Domestic, M/M, Married Couple, Married Life, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-11
Updated: 2017-06-11
Packaged: 2018-11-12 22:44:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,189
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11171637
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yasuo_Karada/pseuds/Yasuo_Karada
Summary: (For the DMMD Big Bang 2017)His eyes would sometimes meet Aoba's when they were alone, and he would watch as his husband reached for his hand, rub his thumb against his knuckles and ring, and smile warily at the futility of the action.He was lonely.





	reset

**Author's Note:**

> First of all, I apologize profusely for uploading this almost 2 weeks too late. Between work and personal business, this was a struggle. But I managed to pull through!!
> 
> Secondly, I'd been wanting to work with this concept for a while and I'm glad I chose it for this event. I hope you enjoy!
> 
> Self-beta'd, hopefully all mistakes had been rectified.

"So I was thinking after the movie we could-- ouch."

"Careful," Aoba softly chided with a chuckle as he leaned over and opened the cupboard above the dishwasher that much more before returning to scrubbing out the pan from cooking their breakfast. Noiz rubbed absently at the spot where his head made impact on the bottom of the door.  
  
"--...we should go to that bakery to get those éclairs you like, maybe get a cake to take home," he finished as he bent back down to grab more dishes from the wash, glancing up to take caution when he stood back upright.  
  
Aoba scoffed. "First lunch, then a movie, _then_ you want to bring home a bunch of sweets? If I didn't know any better, I'd accuse you of fattening me up."  
  
"Who said I wasn't?"  
  
He heard his husband gawk beside him and laughed when he flicked water and soap bubbles at Noiz's nose. "Brat."  
  
"Can't help it, _Schatz_. More of you to love." Noiz glanced over and let his gaze travel down Aoba's body (ignoring Aoba's arguably justifiable glare) to rest on the curve of his ass; those sweatpants were snug against his luscious thighs and plump cheeks, only further accenting the small amount of softness Aoba had acquired over the several months of living in Germany. He let out an appreciative whistle. "You should wear those pants more often, by the way."  
  
He sputtered over himself and turned away to hide his blush, " _Perverted_ brat. What am I going to do with you?"  
  
"You could wear those pants. All the time. Maybe spend another year with me so I can keep enjoying the view."  
  
" _Another_ year being married to you? How ever will I manage?" Aoba sighed dramatically, even bringing the back of his hand to his forehead for good measure. After a low chuckle, he smirked back and bumped his hip against Noiz's. "Finish these dishes and I _may_ consider it."  
  
At this, Noiz couldn't help but break out into his own smirk. "Alright, deal. Go get ready."  
  
Another hip-bump and Aoba was drying off his hands on the front of his shirt, turning to head down the hall to their bedroom; naturally, Noiz watched as he left. Two years after a civil union and he still couldn't get enough of that sight, _damn_.  
  
Once breakfast was cleaned up and they had both showered and dressed (along with Aoba half-heartedly fighting off Noiz's advances to just forego their date entirely and enjoy being clean and naked), they grabbed their coats from the closet and met their AllMates at the door.  
  
"Take care of the house, Ren," Aoba grinned as he knelt down to pick up his AllMate and bump their foreheads together. "I'll see if we can find anything for you while we're out."  
  
"I'll do my best, Aoba." Ren wagged his tail as he was set back down. Midori hopped onto the top of Ren's head, bouncing expectedly for his own forehead touch.  
  
" _You_ stay out of trouble," Noiz chastised, pointing a finger at him.  
  
"P! Noiz is so mean, we won't do anything!"  
  
The other bunny cubes swarmed at Noiz's feet, chirping protests and pleas. Ren just lowered his ears and sighed; Aoba expressed his pity for what was in store for him. After some playful arguing and negotiating, they bid their robotic companions farewell before locking the front door to their penthouse behind them.  
  
Noiz kept Aoba's hand in his the instant they left, idly playing with Aoba's wedding ring as they walked to the elevator all the way down to the main street, where there were other couples and families wandering around the various shops and restaurants. Aoba squeezed Noiz's hand in response, playfully nudging his shoulder against Noiz's arm.   
  
"We still have a couple hours before the movie is supposed to start. Where to first?"  
  
"Hmm..." Aoba hummed in thought. Dried leaves in hues of reds and yellows and oranges _crunch_ 'd under their feet. "We should probably take a look at some things to get for everyone back in Midorijima. The holidays are going to be here before we know it and it may be a good idea to just get our Christmas shopping out of the way before we forget like last year."  
  
"We can do that next weekend." Noiz pouted and tightened his hold on Aoba's hand. "I want today to be just for us."  
  
Aoba just chuckled a _'you're such a kid'_ under his breath. "Alright, fair enough. Theeeeeennnnn, electronics? I wanna see if the new skin for that Blain Nutz watch is in-stock."  
  
"Sounds good. They may have some more games I can kick your ass in." Noiz smirked. They approached an intersection across the way from the aforementioned electronics store, standing on the corner to wait for their red light to change to green and give the OK to cross.  
  
" _Please_. If anyone's ass is going to be kicked, it's _yours_ ," Aoba drawled.  
  
"Mmm, impossible." Noiz let go of Aoba's hand in favor of twirling his high-ponytail around his index finger. "According to _someone_ , my ass is nonexistent."  
  
Aoba shooed Noiz's hand away from his hair, stumbling over his own swears as Noiz just laughed lowly. The topic of _Baa-chan_ came up, and Aoba activated his Coil to pull up some of the pictures she had sent him of their town preparing for some upcoming festivals for the change in seasons. Noiz leaned closer to look at the photos on the hologram, squinting a little at the low quality; he really needed to get Aoba a new Coil. As he pulled up more pictures, some activity from down the street drew Noiz's attention, and he peeked over the top of Aoba's head.

He saw the people scrambling away from the sidewalk before he saw the car. His breath caught in his throat as it jumped the curb in their direction, and his body moved of its own accord as he lunged for Aoba and shoved him away just as the air was knocked out of his lungs and he was sent flying with a _crac_ \--

~*~

_...ep...beep...beep..._

When he opened his eyes, he was hit with a familiar sterility filling his nostrils before the white ceiling came into view through the darkness. The steady beeping of a heart monitor registered in his ears, and as the haziness of unconsciousness began to ebb away he remembered how to breathe.

He lay there for a few moments while the world around him came into focus -- he was in a hospital, it was night, and there was the shuffling of sheets and gentle murmuring at his side. His gaze shifted from the ceiling to the figure hunched over the edge of his bed and snoring softly.

Noiz let out a sigh of relief at seeing Aoba, here with him, a bandage on his cheek and his left wrist in a cast but otherwise alive and _okay_. He lifted a hand, fighting a little against the IV tube wrapped around his arm, and reached over to tenderly run his fingers through those blue locks he loved to play with. Aoba shifted under his touch, mumbling something incoherently in the midst of sleep as his face scrunched and he subconsciously leaned into Noiz's hand.

Aoba stirred at the trembling hand against his head, eyelids fluttering open and dazed as he took in his surroundings. When he seemed to remember where he was, he looked up at Noiz and met his gaze. A sleepy smile graced his lips.

"Noiz, you're awake," he croaked, moving to sit up. His fingers wiggled through the cast as he tried to hold Noiz's hand and bring it down against his unbandaged cheek, eyes closing as he melted into the touch. "You're awake, _thank God_ , you're awake."

Noiz could only let his mouth hang open, Aoba's lips pressing against his wrist and grinning into his hand as he visibly fought back tears. "You had me so worried, stupid kid. You were out for two days. God, you must feel like hell."

"...n't."

Aoba's eyes flickered up to his face. His smile wavered at Noiz's expression. "Noiz?"

"I don't," he repeated, a whisper of breath. Aoba's hand released his as it curled around his cheek, then jaw, then back to bury into his hair; it was like mist between his fingers. Aoba's skin was static against his.

That was all he felt, the static; there was none of Aoba's familiar warmth or softness, nor the sting of the needle in his arm or ache in the fingers wrapped in a splint and bandages. "Aoba, I don't-- _I can't feel_."

Noiz hadn't even realized how badly he was shaking, how hard he was breathing; the heart monitor next to his bed grew rapid and loud in time with his gasps, and he was brought back to his childhood, the disapproving glares from the adults that looked down on him and the darkness in his world as he knew it enveloped his vision. He was--

_The drugs_. It had to be the pain medication that was surely being pumped into his veins from the IV. _It had to be_.

He couldn't feel the scratchiness of the sheets wrapped around his legs but as he thrashed in desperation the weight they carried was suffocating all the same. He didn't hear the nurses rushing into the room, nor Aoba screaming at him, pleading for him to stop as he tore the IV out of his arm -- it didn't hurt. _It didn't hurt_.

No, this was wrong. All wrong. Wrongwrongwro _ngwrongw **rong**_ \--

Hands he couldn't feel held him down against the mattress, and if he were any less panicked he would have seen the needle brought to the vein in his arm. He struggled, fought and writhed against the mattress and nurses until darkness crept in from the edge of his vision with the taste of metal bleeding into his mouth, until he couldn't keep his eyelids open, and he was dragged once again down into sleep.

~ * ~

The lack of feeling should be temporary, the doctor had told them, more psychological than physical and likely due to the trauma from the accident.

It wasn't unheard of for patients with head trauma to go through sensations of delirium, sensitivity to light, dizziness, or being unable to register certain sensations such as touch or taste. Even so, the fact that Noiz was able to walk away with little more than a concussion and some bruised ribs was nothing short of a miracle. The MRIs and blood tests they conducted didn't show any signs of permanent damage, and while it seemed to ease some tension in Aoba's shoulders, Noiz didn't have the same luxury of relief.

Aoba was released two days after Noiz's episode; he had managed to only get a sprained wrist and some mild cuts and bruises (thank whatever god may exist). He made it a point to visit whenever he could, spending hours at Noiz's side in his hospital room just talking, bringing his favorite snacks, practicing his German. Honestly it was almost like they were back in Midorijima, except he would also get visits from Theo and a handful of their coworkers hoping for a speedy recovery.

They informed him that the driver, an elderly man with no prior record, apparently had suffered a heart attack at the wheel and lost control of the vehicle. He died on-site; Noiz couldn't, no matter how he tried, find it in his heart to forgive him or hate him or really anything. Emotions were weird.

Noiz would be in the same room as Aoba, his brother, his subordinates, the nurses as they all visited. Their voices would reach his ears, their eyes would meet occasionally in passing glances, they would speak to him and sometimes he would speak back.

But there was an invisible wall dividing his world and theirs.

Noiz had to actively fight relapsing back to the mindset of _me_ and _them_. He had grown up in that world, molded by it, confined in its chains -- and Aoba saved him. Took his hand and broke him to set him free. Brought him into the light, into the world of the living. God, if he lost Aoba...

His eyes would sometimes meet Aoba's when they were alone, and he would watch as his husband reached for his hand, rub his thumb against his knuckles and ring, and smile warily at the futility of the action.

He was lonely.

The first time, he instinctively tightened his hold on Aoba's hand only to scowl when he remembered that he still couldn't feel the softness of his skin, no matter how much pressure he applied. Aoba had sighed then, given him a pained expression.

_Don't look at me like that. Not you._

His ears perked up at the hushed apology as his husband shifted out of his seat and leaned forward, his vision obscured by Aoba's neck and hair. Aoba slowly descended down his face, and the soft sounds of lips leaving tiny pecks against his skin rang louder than his own protests. Why was Aoba torturing him like this?

And then --

A warmth, feather light and cautious, pressed against his mouth. He froze, or maybe time itself did, or maybe the world ended because here he was crashing right back into it -- this was familiar; _he could feel this_.

Aoba had pulled away far, far too soon, mumbling another apology. He cut himself off as he looked right back at Noiz, his brow furrowing with concern as he raised his hand to wipe his thumb across the lid of Noiz's eye. It was only then that he had felt the dull pressure in his skull, and he was a child again, fighting back tears that should have burned, should have left his cheeks sticky and wet as Aoba wiped more and more away as they kept coming.

Instead, he only tasted salt -- first of his tears, then of Aoba's skin as he clung to his hand, pressed it against his lips as he showered Aoba's fingers and palm in reverent kisses.

~ * ~

A week later, Noiz was finally discharged and allowed to return home where he would be subject to another two weeks of bedrest before he could go back to work.

"Welcome home, Noiz," Aoba greeted him at the door with a smile meant to be big enough for both of them once the hospital shuttle dropped him off, Ren and his pseudorabbit cubes gathered around his feet. He responded with a non-committal grunt, ignoring his AllMates in favor of dropping his bag in the doorway and leaning into Aoba's shoulder, inhaling his scent; there was a vague weight of arms wrapping around him, muted but still present, and he relished in what little comfort it gave.

What he didn't count on was how much _harder_ being home was, now that he was familiar with their life together and how things were meant to work.

Everything smelled the same, was left exactly the way it was when they left their apartment that one evening; the laundry hamper was in the same corner of the hallway dividing their bedroom and the living room, the video game controllers left on a small stack of opened envelopes and letters from work, framed photographs from their honeymoon trip to Japan and Italy and Spain dotting the walls, their slippers in the shoe cabinet set beside the doorway. All reminders of a domestic -- _normal_ \-- life crowded in around him, and he started to suffocate.

Noiz dug his fingers into the back of Aoba's shirt, tried to pull him as close as he could as he buried his face into the curve of Aoba's neck and willed everything else away.

\---

Aoba was already in bed by the time Noiz emerged from the shower, leaning against his pillow and messing around on his Coil (it looked like news articles, but Noiz couldn't read the tiny backwards text). He didn't bother with a towel, standing there dripping wet in the doorway leading to their conjoined bathroom. Aoba glanced up and jolted out of bed with a gasp.

"Noiz, you have to dry off, you'll get sick," he muttered, brushing past him to grab a towel from their linens closet. Noiz let Aoba pat him with the towel when he returned, watching him take extra care around his stitches and bruises. "We should probably change the bandages, too."

A phantom tinge of pain shot through his heart at watching his husband dote on him with such tenderness. He really didn't have to be so gentle; it's not like he would've been able to feel it if it hurt. "You're so red...how hot did you have the water?"

"Hm?" Noiz blinked, shaken out of his thoughts by Aoba's reprimanding. "...Dunno."

Aoba muttered a _'Jesus'_ under his breath before he sighed and continued to dry him off. Noiz let his mind and gaze wander around the room -- Ren and Midori bundled up in sleep mode on their designated pile of pillows in a corner, his suits peeking through the closet door which was left ajar, their dresser donned with even more pictures and a couple souvenirs from their honeymoon and other trips taken before and during married life -- and he tried to take it all in but everything just felt _off_.

Once Noiz was clothed in boxers (he refused to put on anything else on the off-chance his sensation of touch came back while he slept), he climbed in under the covers behind his husband. Aoba was turned away, switching off the light on his bedside table, and Noiz saw it as the perfect chance to slide against his back and wrap his arms and legs around him.

Nothing.

"N-Noiz..."

"This is fine," he muttered against Aoba's hair and the back of his neck. If he closed his eyes and took in Aoba's scent until he was absolutely drowning in it, maybe he could pretend.

There was a distant weight against his hand, a soft _clink_ of metal hitting metal as their wedding rings made contact.

"...Hey," Aoba whispered after a long moment of silence in the darkness.

"Hm?"

"...I love you."

Those words stung, and he inhaled deeply as though the sting was physical before he let his lips and tongue press against Aoba's nape; he was taken back by the familiar taste of soap against freshly cleaned skin, by the fact that of all things _this_ was once again his lifeline with the rest of the world. "...Love you, too."

They were both quiet after that. Noiz didn't get any sleep that night, and while he didn't move lest he disturb his husband, it didn't seem like Aoba did, either.  
  
Eventually, Noiz was allowed back at work. His subordinates all welcomed him with warm smiles and good wishes, some even with get-well gifts and bouquets. There were documents left on his desk, all mostly complete save for the few spaces where they required his signature. It was...weird.  
  
Being at home was even weirder. He tried to get used to it, he really did. They fell into the same routine as before -- on the days they worked together, they would swing by the cafe on their route home, grab their usual drinks and pastries, undress into loungewear before discussing what to do for dinner, with Aoba making the necessary preparations while Noiz caught up on whatever work he brought home; on days Aoba left early or had off entirely, dinner would already be waiting for him as soon as he stepped in through the front door, kicked off his shoes and undid his tie before he collapsed face-first into the couch.  
  
At first, he would greet Aoba in the kitchen, or sometimes at the door, and receive a "welcome home" kiss on his cheek, just like before. After the first two days, however, he noticed that there would be a hesitation before Aoba planted a kiss against his cheek; four days after that, Aoba couldn't even look him in the eye when he murmured his greeting. Noiz kissed him even more, all over, to make up the difference.

~ * ~

After two weeks of being thrown back into his own prison, isolated from the rest of the world, of watching his darling gradually pull further and further away, he finally fucking lost it.

"Jesus, what were you thinking?"

"I thought, maybe if--"

" _Look_ at this, Noiz! You could have broken your hand and now we have a-- a fucking hole in the wall and-- shit," Aoba bit as he wrapped Noiz's hand in the towel. He kept a firm grip on it with one hand to apply pressure to the open cut while he leaned over and dug through the first aid kit with the other. His eyes glanced up briefly at the new addition to the décor, a nice chunk taken out of the plaster right next to the hallway.

"The wall can be fixed, it's not that big a deal."

"Yeah but can _this_?" Aoba gestured with his hand in Noiz's direction before he returned his attention to his injury with rubbing alcohol and gauze placed within reach. He unwrapped his hand, grimacing slightly at how soaked the towel was in blood, before he took a clean washcloth and dampened it with the alcohol.

No sting. A slight tingle, like whenever his hand fell asleep and he would try moving his fingers, but no sting. Aoba hesitated only slightly at the lack of response. "...Still nothing?"

Noiz just shrugged. Once the wound was properly cleaned and dressed, he tried moving his fingers. He wouldn't be able to feel it but they seemed to bend and straighten normally, which meant they likely weren't broken. Good.

"I'll call the doctor later to give him an update," his husband sighed heavily. "Maybe he'll have...some other suggestion, or--"

"Aoba, nothing's worked so far," Noiz cut in. "We tried going back to routine, we tried medication, meditation, incense, whatever, it _doesn't work_. They couldn't fix it before, and they can't fix it now."

Then it hit him. "He said it was some, like...mental block, right? From trauma?"

"Noiz, you can't just--" Aoba pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and index finger and clenched his eyes shut to stave off annoyance; he knew exactly where this was going. He leaned back against the couch and sighed, taking a moment to himself before slowly, carefully continuing, "It doesn't work like that. I don't-- I haven't been able to use Scrap since Platinum Jail. We've _talked_ about this, Noiz."

"It was just a suggestion, we don't really have a lot of options. Just throwing it out there." Noiz spoke lowly, keeping his stance firm.

"Even if I could use it, who knows if it will even work? It was a crapshoot before, and I still don't even fully understand how I managed to get through to you then." He started to put everything back into its proper place in the kit before he stood up with it in hand.

"I'm not going to ask or force you to--"

"Then don't."

"--but at least consider it. As a last resort."

Aoba only sighed (Noiz noticed that he seemed to do a lot of sighing as of late) and sat back down onto the couch, returning the kit to the table before he held his face in his hands, elbows on his knees, like he was pensive.

"...I don't want to break you."

His shoulders shuddered, and there was a soft gasp for breath. _Oh no._

"Aoba..."

"I don't want to fuck up somehow and-- and you wind up comatose on a hospital bed like Mizuki, who fucking knows when you'd wake up?" He paused to inhale shakily; Noiz took in the drop landing on his pant leg. "I think about it, sometimes, like-- like 'I'm so happy but what if I messed up back then?' I don't know what would have happened if I couldn't pull you through and that scares me. I don't--..."

Here, Aoba crumbled into himself as he choked out a sob. "I don't want to go through that again...!"

Noiz's heart broke -- he couldn't feel it actually ache but he knew it was breaking, it broke every time Aoba cried.

He extended a hand to Aoba's shoulder in an attempt to offer comfort, but--

Aoba flinched away.

" _Don't_."

Noiz's hand remained hovered in the air, curled around the phantom image of Aoba's shoulder as Aoba stood up abruptly and gathered the first aid kit into his arms. He watched him turn and stomp down the hall towards the guest room, muttering something under his breath Noiz couldn't quite make out. The sound of his footsteps grew further away before they were cut off by the sharp _slam!_ of a door, followed by silence.  
  
Aoba didn't come to bed that night. And by the time Noiz woke up and got ready for work the next morning, he was already gone.  
  
He had never felt so alone.

~ * ~

_**Wilhelm H. :** Aoba, can you please bring me the documents for Schmidt? 11.23 AM_

_**Aoba S.:** yeah, hang on. be right there. 11.25 AM_

A moment or two passed before there was a gentle knock from the other side of his office door. The knob turned and Aoba poked his head into the room. "Hey."

Noiz looked up from his computer at the soft greeting just as Aoba stepped into the room, shutting the door behind him. With five cautious strides he approached Noiz's desk, familiar green folder in hand.

"Thank you," Noiz murmured, and he took the offered folder graciously.

They stayed like that for an awkward moment, Aoba biting his lower lip while Noiz avoided eye contact. After Aoba had left him the night before and avoided him most of that morning, he had to-- he didn't even know, he just _had_ to talk to his husband. He felt so small in front of Aoba now, like he was the same kid he used to be when they first met, or years before even that.

He...did not think this through.

Aoba's fingers lightly tapped against his pantlegs as he just, kind of...stood there. It was obvious he wanted to say something -- anything, really -- with the way he was gnawing on his lip. "...Noi--"

"I'm sorry." Noiz beat him to the punch. He watched Aoba's eyebrows visibly raise, before he took a deep breath and continued, "I'm...sorry. I know I'm not the only one trying to cope with... _this_. I can be a handful, even in the best of times, and I know I haven't been fair to you."

"No, I...I shouldn't have taken it out on you, and I shouldn't have just run away from everything. I can only imagine how you must feel." Aoba glanced over to Noiz's bandaged hand. "I just...can't stand seeing you hurt yourself."  
  
Noiz hummed in acknowledgment. There was a long pause, and he took that moment to reflect on the last few weeks. He chuckled pitifully. "...To be honest, I thought you found me repulsive. Like others did before."  
  
Aoba opened his mouth to protest, but Noiz continued, "I saw how you started to touch me less and less. It hurt, watching you pull away. But...being unable to feel it when you _did_ touch me hurt even more. And I think you realized that."  
  
He took Aoba's right hand and brought it to his lips, pressing a light kiss first against his knuckle, then against his ring. "I don't give you enough credit."  
  
"You really don't," Aoba chuckled. His thumb idly rubbed against Noiz's palm. "But I guess neither do I."  
  
Noiz smiled against his fingers. "Not really."  
  
He watched as Aoba brought his hand back, pulling Noiz's along up to his own mouth. He nipped the tip of the padding of his ring finger with the front of his teeth and-- _oh_. He felt that.  
  
"You can't get rid of me that easily," his husband smirked, releasing his hand to hold up his own, wiggling his fingers to show off his wedding band. "I'm in this for the long haul."  
  
Noiz leaned against his desk, his palm supporting his chin as he held up his own. It may have been a shitty hand he was dealt with, for the second time; this round, though, at least he wasn't dealing with it alone. "Guess you're stuck with me, then."  
  
"Guess I am."

~ * ~

"Ah, how did it get so late?!"

Noiz glanced over at the digital clock above their stove as Aoba scrambled away from his side at their sink to the other side of the kitchen. He looked back at Aoba gathering up their glass and other recyclables, Ren chiming in whenever Aoba seemed confused on what went where. He couldn't help to chuckle to himself; despite how long they lived in Germany together, Aoba still had a bit of trouble adjusting to its customs. _Cute_.

"I'll be right back, think about what you want for dinner," Aoba called over his shoulder as he hoisted the bags of recyclables out of their respective containers.

"'Kay."

Ren's paws padded against the linoleum as he trotted after Aoba out of the room. The front door opened, then shut from down the hall.

Noiz went into autopilot then, moving the plates from the dishwasher to their designated spot in the cabinets above while his mind wandered. They could go out for pasta -- _again_. It was Noiz's favorite type of dish, but the chances that Aoba was starting to get sick of it must had been pretty high by now ( _okay, bowls next_ ). There was a sushi place in town they hadn't been to yet, maybe Aoba would enjoy familiar Japanese cuisine. Wait, did he even have sushi that much in Midorijima? If nothing else, there was that Indian curry place that

" _Fick_!" he hissed, instantly recoiling into himself at the sharp jab of the cabinet door into the top of his skull.

A hand reached for the counter to support himself as the other moved to rub at the sore spot on his head, then to slam the cabinet shut. He rubbed at his head again and froze as tiny bolts of lightning slithered down his spine; he did it again, and this time they slid all the way to his fingertips; once more and he shivered so violently his knees buckled and he sank to the floor.

Throbbing came in waves -- first in his head, then his hand where he punched the wall last week, his toes where he banged against the table that morning, his chest where bruises along his ribs were healing but still present and with each wave, it all piled on heavier and heavier until he was curled in a fetal position on the linoleum and he-- he was...laughing.

The tile pressed against any inch of skin not covered by his clothing, soft and weighing down against his body and it felt so warm against the cold of the floor. He clutched at his stomach, and every gasp and laugh hurt. It hurt _so bad_ , and for some reason it only made him laugh even harder, louder until he couldn't even breathe.

"P! Noiz is bleeding! Noiz is bleeding!" Midori cried in distress from above him, bouncing up and down on the counter as his fellow cubes flocked into the kitchen chirping concerns over each other.

"I-Is that so?" Noiz breathed a low chuckle once he calmed down and ran a hand through his hair, god how good it was to feel his hair tickle against his fingers! He brought his hand down into view and sure enough, there was his blood, viscous and red and warm against his skin. He rubbed it between his fingers, just taking in the sensation of being able to feel and-- shit, his vision was blurring and there it was, that burn of tears he had always resented up until this very moment, _oh God_.

He didn't hear the front door open or Aoba's gasp and footsteps stomping down the hall in his direction, not until there were-- there were hands grabbing his shoulders and pulling him upright, he could feel the press of Aoba's nails digging into his skin through his shirt and--

"Noiz, what happened?! Christ, you're bleeding, are you okay?!" Aoba held Noiz's face in his hands as he looked him over and, oh, he couldn't help but lean into his touch, close his eyes and savor the feel of his husband's palms against his cheeks just as loving and careful as he'd always known them to be. Aoba's hands started to move to turn Noiz's head and a slight panic tore through him, his own hands shooting up to grab Aoba's wrists and bring them back down.

"Like this," he whispered, nuzzling into Aoba's hands as they cupped along his jawline. His fingertips trailed lightly against the back of Aoba's hands and his knuckles, stroking up and down and just...touching. "Just like this. Just, let me..."

Noiz's hands moved up Aoba's arms, controlled and slow, keeping his eyes closed to enhance the feeling of his skin and the cloth of his shirt. They traveled up to his neck -- he couldn't stop himself from shivering at Aoba's shuddering gasp against his fingertips as they brushed against that spot just behind his ears -- and pressed the pads of his thumbs into Aoba's cheeks, plush and soft like marshmallows.

He opened his eyes to meet Aoba's and found them staring right back at him, wide and glossy. His lower lip trembled before he broke out into a toothy grin, the relief and joy melting onto his face as Noiz threaded his fingers into his hair and the realization sunk in. A hand moved to brush Noiz's bangs back from his forehead. "Can...Can you feel that...?"

"Yes," Noiz breathed. Aoba exhaled a laugh, running his own hands through Noiz's hair. His fingers brushed against the cut on his scalp, and Noiz winced and inhaled sharply through his teeth.

"S-Sorry!"

"Don't be."  
  
His face hurt from how big he was grinning and he loved it. "Don't ever be sorry, _Liebling_. I missed this," he reached one hand for Aoba's ponytail, twirling it around his fingers as the other found its place on his hip, just skirting under the hem of his shirt to feel his skin, and he gently pulled Aoba into his lap, relishing in the warmth and weight of his partner's body. "I missed this so much."

Aoba shook in his hold in laughter and tears, and soon Noiz was laughing and crying with him as they sat there like fools curled against each other on the kitchen floor. The bunny cubes bounced and squeaked as they huddled around them, Ren sat idly to their side with his fluffy tail wagging. Eventually, everyone calmed, and Aoba wiped away at his own tears on his face.

"Heh...you got blood all over me, you jerk," he sniffled, rubbing his palm against his eye to stop more tears from flowing.

"Sorry," Noiz breathed back in a chuckle. Neither of them really meant what they said.

Even so, Aoba just shook his head in defeat before he pressed their foreheads and noses against each other. "How do you feel?"

"Like hell. Tch," he groaned despite the grin, "we still have those pain killers the doctor gave me?"

"You never took any." Aoba -- gently -- flicked Noiz's ear. "Stupid kid."

"Well let's go get them. Everything's-- ow. Ow ow ow _ow_."

Aoba helped his husband up into his feet, supporting him against his frame when Noiz started to limp slightly from the ache in his toes and ankles from who-even-knows-what. He set Noiz down onto the couch before hurrying to the bathroom for the medicine, Midori and a small gang of bunnies bouncing after him.  
  
Ren jumped onto the couch to read Noiz's vitals, and he couldn't help but run a hand through his soft synthetic fur, poke at his silicone tongue poking out of his little puppy mouth. He never fully appreciated how fluffy Ren was and after this, he was not going to take it for granted ever again.  
  
He wasn't going to take _any_ of this for granted.  
  
After a moment, Aoba returned with the first aid kit and pain killers and a change of clothes. Noiz couldn't stop running his hands all over Aoba's face and body, taking in as much as he could even with Aoba's protesting squawks and reprimands to "stay still so I can treat you! Brat!"  
  
Even once he was all bandaged up, Noiz didn't stop touching, pulling him into his lap and wrapping every limb around him like a cocoon. Aoba resisted, but his laughter gave him away. Once they had calmed down a bit, and Noiz left a big, wet  _smack!_ against his cheek, Aoba leaned back into Noiz's chest -- carefully, minding the bruises.  
  
"So. Did you decide what you wanted for dinner?"

**Author's Note:**

> "Fick" - German for "fuck". Not a typo!


End file.
